GABAA receptors (GABAA R) are pentameric assemblies from a pool of different subunits (α1-6, β1-3, γ1-3, δ, ε, π, θ) that forms a Cl− permeable channel that is gated by the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Various pharmacological effects, including anxiety disorders, epilepsy, insomnia, pre-anesthetic sedation, and muscle relaxation, are mediated by different GABAA subtypes.
Various studies have demonstrated that reduced GABA signaling is linked to various CNS disorders with cognitive impairment. In particular, the α5-containing GABAA Rs, which are relatively sparse in the mammalian brain, play a role in modifying learning and memory. Previous studies demonstrated a reduction of hippocampal expression of the α5 subunit of the GABAA receptor in rats with age-related cognitive decline (see International Patent Publication WO 2007/019312). Such results suggest that upregulation of α5-containing GABAA R function may be effective in the treatment of CNS disorders with cognitive impairment, e.g., age-related cognitive impairment, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), dementia, Alzheimer's Disease (AD), prodromal AD, PTSD, schizophrenia and cancer-therapy-related cognitive impairment.
Thus, there is a need for agonists of α5-containing GABAA R that are useful in therapeutic preparations for the treatment of CNS disorders with cognitive impairment.